She seems unsure what to do with that response, or the thorough look I subject her to, but she quickly recovers.
“Well, in that case, let me get Beau out here and make introductions. He’s a bit sensitive to strangers.”
How sensitive I discover minutes later when I’m greeted with a low ferocious growl from behind a row of large, exposed teeth. I don’t have an issue with animals, normally, but this guy looks like he could do some serious damage.
“Beau, be nice,” Meredith scolds him, but the mutt pays her no notice, he’s too focused on me.
Rather than get into a staredown with the animal in a battle for dominance, I decide ignoring him may be the best course of action.
“What’s first? Roof or deck?”
“I guess roof,” she answers. “That would be the wise decision.”
She doesn’t look too excited at the prospect, but from what I can tell from where I’m standing, it shouldn’t be too big a deal.
“Got a ladder?”
I look around if I can see one.
“Yes. Shit, I left it back there when I got the cat from the tree last night. Let me go get it.”
“I see it, I can go.”
I’m already on the move, keeping half an eye on the dog, who stopped growling, but is still staring at me. Not sure what it’ll take to win him over, but I’m not about to let myself be intimidated.
By the time I lean the ladder up against the house, Meredith is cutting open the first bundle of shingles.
“Mind if I back up my truck here?” I indicate the strip of grass beside the A-frame. “I can toss the old shingles into the back and haul them straight to the dump. Saves us some time.”
“Sure. That’s a great idea, actually. I thought about renting a bin, but not knowing when I’d be able to work on it, I decided to wait with that.”
“No need for that. Easy enough for me to swing by the waste station on my way home.”
I earn a smile I can feel in my gut.
“If you’re sure it’s no trouble… Thanks, that’d be great.”
I know I’ve stared at her a little too long when the dog takes up his growling again and I quickly turn to fetch my truck.
Overall I’m pretty confident around women—never had complaints—but around Meredith I’m all thumbs. Maybe it’s because after so long biding my time and only interacting on a professional level, I’m suddenly at her house, in her space. This is where I could fuck up.
It doesn’t take me long to back the truck into the space beside the house, and in no time I’m tossing old shingles in the bed from my perch at the top of the ladder. While I’m making headway—checking the structure for soft spots as I go—Meredith tackles the lower part of the roof she can reach with the help of a small stepladder. At some point she disappears inside with the dog, only to return a few minutes later without the animal, but carrying two travel mugs.
“Brought you a coffee,” she calls up. “Take a break.”
I hang my tools from my belt and start climbing down. Glancing over my shoulder, I catch her looking up at my backside. She immediately averts her eyes and I grin to myself; gotcha, Dr. Carter. The moment my feet hit the ground, she hands me a mug and I purposely brush her fingers with mine, watching her closely for a reaction. There it is; a slight rising of an eyebrow and a twitch at the corner of her mouth.
But then she surprises me with her blunt assessment.
“Are you flirting with me, VanDyken?”
The question sounds more like a challenge, but the use of my last name comes across as a bit defensive.
Perhaps she’s not quite as confident as she comes across.
“Must be losing my touch if you have to ask,” I point out before countering with a question of my own. “What if I am?”
Her eyes light up with humor and the corners of her mouth lift into a mischievous smile. Despite the silver gray head of hair, she has a youthful look about her. An old pair of jeans and men’s flannel shirt in stark contrast with the bright-colored glasses and of course her signature purple boots. But what makes her look even younger is the way her smile lights up her face and radiates vibrant energy.
“Well…it would certainly be an unexpected development,” she finally answers.
“Unexpected? Not a welcome development?” I tease a little. “You forget, I did catch you ogling my ass just now.”
Her grin grows wider even as she tries to hide it behind the rim of her coffee cup.
“I’m afraid my fascination with anatomy is a byproduct of my profession,” she lies and I chuckle, shaking my head.
“Sure it is.” To relieve the building tension, I take in her view from the back of the house. “Great place you have here. What made you choose such a remote spot? Are you a country girl at heart?”
“Born and raised in the city, I’m afraid. I needed a break from the throngs of people everywhere you turn, and the constant traffic noise got on my nerves.”
“None of that here,” I comment.
I take another swig of my coffee, enjoying the rich earthy flavor, and listen to the sounds of nature.
“Want a refill?”
“No thanks, I should get back to work. Good coffee, though,” I add.
“So glad you think so,” she says, a twinkle in her eyes. “Most people are turned off when they discover it’s made of mushrooms.”
It takes everything out of me not to spit out my last mouthful. I’m a simple meat and potatoes kind of guy, and mushrooms disgust me.
She throws back her head and laughs with abandon, as she did when I took my first bite of tofu last night and struggled to keep a straight face. Hell, I’m willing to put anything in my mouth if it means I get to listen to the sound of her laughter. The Meredith who caught my attention laughed but in an almost reserved way, something I’m sure comes with the job. This woman laughing at me—unguarded and relaxed—I know I could lose myself in. Fuck…I want to lose myself in.
“So, you’re a vegetarian?” I blurt out to prevent myself from giving voice to my thoughts.
“Very observant.” Her tone is teasing. “I’m guessing you’re not?”
Before I have a chance to answer, her phone rings.
Meredith
“Hey, Calder. Thanks for getting back to me.”
Calder Stonewall is a Texas medical examiner I briefly met, shortly after I came to Durango. He’d been assisting on a case that went well over the head of the coroner at the time. He was the first person I thought of calling when my discovery of the different blowfly larvae threw me for a loop. Stonewall has a lot more experience than I do and I was hoping he could at least point me in the right direction.
Unfortunately, he is also a very busy man and it had taken him days to call me back.
“Sorry I made you wait. How are things in Durango?”
The sight of Jay climbing back up the ladder momentarily distracts me, but I force my eyes away and focus on the phone call instead.
“Good. Busy but good.”
“Glad to hear it. You mentioned something about a case you wanted input on?”
“Yes, a hiker found a severed leg near a trail. Vacuum-sealed in heavy plastic.”